


April and Andy Fictober 18

by CeruleanMisha



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M, Future headcanon for April and Andy, fictober18, headcanons, scene from an episode
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-23 22:45:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 5,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16168355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeruleanMisha/pseuds/CeruleanMisha
Summary: Drabbles for the Fictober18 challenge on Tumblr. Parks and Recreation is the fandom. April and Andy are the main characters I will write. Others (as well as OCs) may appear in supporting roles. Because I've had some RL things get in the way of my writing, I'm going to extend my Fictober timeframe to the end of the year. I will write all Fictober drabbles, just not within the month of October.I am taking prompt requests in comments.Click here for to see my prompt table.Request one or two or five or ten, as many as you want! Feel free to request a specific situation/time frame/verse that I write. Most will be April/Andy, but other P&R characters, as well as OC, and my headcanon for future children may appear.





	1. Introduction

I've decided to do [The Fictober18 Writing Challenge](https://fictober18.tumblr.com) on Tumblr.

Prompts:

“Can you feel this?”  
“People like you have no imagination.”  
“How can I trust you?”  
“Will that be all?”  
“Take what you need.”  
“I heard enough, this ends now.”  
“No worries, we still have time.”  
“I know you do.”  
“You shouldn’t have come here.”  
“You think this troubles me?”  
“But I will never forget!”  
“Who could do this?”  
“Try harder, next time.”  
“Some people call this wisdom.”  
“I thought you had forgotten.”  
“This is gonna be so much fun!”  
“I’ll tell you but you’re not gonna like it.”  
“You should have seen it.”  
“Oh please, like this is the worst I have done.”  
“I hope you have a speech prepared.”  
“Impressive, truly.”  
“I know how you love to play games.”  
“This is not new, it only feels like it.”  
“You knows this, you know this to be true.”  
“Go forward, do not stray.”  
“But if you cannot see it, is it really there?”  
“Remember, you have to remember.”  
“I felt it. You know what I mean.”  
“At least it can’t get any worse.”  
“Do we really have to do this again?”  
“I’ve waited so long for this.”


	2. Can You Feel This? | People Like You Have No Imagination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April kind of loves seeing Andy hold a baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 1: Can You Feel This? can be found [here, in my April and Andy Drabble Mania](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15846702/chapters/37747721). Days 2-31 will be posted here.

April had to admit there was something inherently pleasing about Andy holding a baby. But the fact it was Ann's baby made April feel twitchy. She had never liked Ann, not even when she'd first met Andy with his two broken legs while he was living with Ann.

Even then, before she really even cared about Andy, she'd thought Ann was a selfish twat. And now that she knew, and loved, Andy? She had no idea what he'd ever seen in her. Or what she'd seen in him. They were entirely mismatched. And in April's opinion, Ann didn't deserve someone as amazingly wonderful as Andy.

"Hey baby. Hi. I'm Andy. What's your name?" Andy asked the tiny infant cooing in his arms.

"Oliver," Ann supplied. "His name's Oliver, after my dad."

April rolled her eyes. "People like you have no imagination," she said. Seriously. There were millions of names to choose from. And she chose her dad's name for her kid? How boring. April would give her kid fifteen names because she couldn't settle on just one.

Ann just gave her A Look. Deadpan. Unaffected. April was kind of disappointed at the lack of reaction, but that was typical Ann. She wasn't any fun, because she lacked imagination. April seriously didn't understand how Andy had been with her at all, much less for three years. It didn't make any sense.

Andy was a good guy. He was sweet and funny and spontaneous. Ann was so rigid and stiff and boring. She looked down her nose at Andy, like he was some lowly peon. She didn't appreciate his music or his playful nature. She criticised everything he said and did.

"Hi, Oliver. Hi." Andy grinned, and April cringed. She knew he wanted kids of his own, and she was the one holding back. How could she deny him the one thing he'd ever asked for? He'd be such an awesome father, she knew that. She didn't need to see him holding his exgirlfriend's baby to know that.

Someday, she told herself. Someday she'd give him a baby. Someday. But not yet.


	3. How Can I Trust You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April can't sleep. Maybe there's a reason she's feeling restless.

She couldn't sleep. She'd been trying to lay still for hours. At least it seemed like hours since Andy had conked out. He'd barely moved since, except to turn over once or twice. He was sound asleep, but she still felt like she was disturbing him with her restlessness.

After a while, it just seemed pointless to stay in bed. She slid out from under the covers and tiptoed out of the room. She glanced back at Andy when she reached the door. He was on his back and snoring softly. Tempting as it was to stand there and just watch him sleep, it was also boring because he wasn't doing anything but laying there. She closed her eyes briefly, mentally storing the image in her brain, before he turned away.

Of course she checked on all of the kids before she headed to the top of the stairs. All of them seemed to be sleeping soundly, Ian was the only one she couldn't actually see for the mountain of blankets on his bed. When she peeked in Lycan's room, Triumph lifted his head then trotted out to join her in the hallway.

She made her way downstairs with Triumph racing ahead of her. The golden retriever they'd gotten when Arlo was a baby was in his prime at seven years old. He hit the bottom of the stairs and with a thud, and April grimaced. She stood at the bottom of the stairs for a moment listening for any movement from upstairs. There was none. She let out her breath and went to get a bottle of water from the fridge before settling on the sofa. Triumph jumped up beside her, his head in her lap. She didn't turn on a light, but she did turn on the TV, cutting the volume down to low so she wouldn't wake anyone in the house. 

Nothing on television held her attention. She eventually turned it off and just sat in the dark idly petting Triumph. She'd just started to doze, finally, when Triumph lifted his head. She was vaguely aware, but caught in that weird place between sleeping and waking, not able to really react. Triumph lurched off the couch, one of his back feet catching her thigh, and the shock of it was enough to pull her out of the haze.

She sat up, eyes tracking the dog to the front door where he stood wagging his tail so vigorously his entire back end shook. The lock turned, and the door opened, and a teenaged boy slipped inside. He put a hand out to the dog. "Hey, boy," he whispered. "Shhh. Don't want to wake mom and dad."

April didn't say anything, but got to her feet. Ian froze when he noticed her. The room was dark, but enough light filtered in from the street light out front that they could see shapes and vague outlines. "Mom, I can explain..."

"Can you?" She took a step toward him. "Ian. It's three thirty in the morning. You're supposed to be in bed." She'd checked on him before she came downstairs. And she hadn't seen him for all the blankets. Blankets she now realised he'd piled up to make it look like he was under them. 

She knew she should be feeling fear, concern for her son's well being. At the moment she was feeling something more like anger and confusion. Ian was clearly all right. He was in one piece. He was home safe. But that didn't negate the fact he'd snuck out. 

"Where have you been?" she demanded. Her voice cracked more than she wanted to admit. Everything in her wanted to hug him. She wanted to pull him into her arms and hold him and check over every inch of him to make sure he wasn't hurt at all. Alternately, she wanted to yell and scream at him and send him to his room and ground him for the next five years. 

"I was just, you know. Out. With friends." Her boys were never supposed to be belligerent teenagers. They were supposed to be good boys, perfect gentlemen. She didn't expect them to be perfect angels, she didn't expect them to follow every single rule every single time. But sneaking out? That was a rule she didn't ever expect one of her children to break. 

"When did you leave?"

"Mom."

She studied him for a moment. Even in the darkness, unable to truly see the features of his face, she could read his expression. He wasn't scared, he was annoyed that he'd been caught. He'd obviously thought his plan was fool proof. "Ian," she countered voice hard. "When did you leave the house?"

Ian sighed. He reminded her of Natalie at that age. And maybe even herself, if she were honest. Not the sneaking out part, but the general devil-may-care attitude. "A little after midnight.' 

"A little after midnight. It's almost four now. I'm only going to ask one more time. Where have you been?"

"One of my friends had a party. Everyone was there, Mom. I couldn't be the only one..."

That was his argument? That was his excuse? April felt a spike or white hot rage surge through her. She swallowed it down. She was not going to be the mom who blew up at her kid the first time he did something she didn't approve of. Even if it was something huge like sneaking out. 

"Go to your room. We'll talk about this in the morning."

"Mom, I..."

April shook her head and jerked her arm out, pointing toward the stairs. He turned away and started upstairs, Triumph on his heels. 

She'd never really had any trouble out of any of the kids. She wasn't surprised it was starting now, but she'd really hoped to skate through raising all of them without any heartbreaking incidents. 

She had no idea how she was ever going to trust Ian again. Each thud of his feet on the steps drove that point home to her. She had no idea if she could trust any of them now. She had no idea how she was going to tell Andy about this. She wished she didn't have to, but she couldn't justify keeping it from him. Ian was his son too.


	4. Will  That Be All?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy's back from London and subtly driving April crazy with his accent.

"Will that be all, my lady?" Andy asked in his most sophisticated British accent. 

The accent was hot, and it made April feel things she'd rather not feel when there were other people around. Especially at work. But damn, ever since he'd come home from London, and he used that accent...

"That'll be all, kind sir," she told him in the gravelly voice she usually reserved for role-playing Janet Snakehole. She hoped it would be easier to resist him from her alter ego's persona, but damn he did things to her, mentally and physically, and it took practically all her willpower not to pull him into a supply closet and do naughty things to his body.

He gave a curt nod and a wink in response. "As you wish," he purred, his voice low and sexy and hitting her just right, right in the gut. It was all she could do to suppress a groan, it was all she could do to keep from jumping him right then and there. 

Damn him. He knew just how to make her squirm in her seat. Not that she was going to complain, not really. But it was awkward and embarrassing and she felt like everyone in the office must know the effect he had on her. 

She glanced to the side. Ron was in his office, typing on his stupid typewriter. Donna was filing her nails at her desk. Tom stared intently at his computer, probably playing some stupid game or scouring social media. Jerry wasn't even at his desk, he was probably off on some goose chase mission Leslie sent him on. Leslie was out of the office at a meeting. No one seemed to be paying April and Andy any attention at all, but she still felt like they were watching her. 

Andy stepped backwards, away from April's desk and toward the exit. Of course that meant going past the table and chairs in the middle of the bullpen, and she might have cringed even before his foot collided with a chair and knocked him off balance. He lurched right back up to his feet, grinning like a kid in a candy shop. Andy was nothing if not upbeat and positive almost no matter what happened.

He continued his backward trajectory until he collided with the receiving counter at the front of the office. Still grinning, he slipped around it and disappeared into the hallway beyond. April glanced around the office; she still felt like she was center stage, and all eyes were on her even though no one was paying her any attention. 

She stood and smoothed a hand over her blouse before walking out. She felt their eyes on her, felt like they knew exactly where she was going and what she was going to do once she got there. Her heart thudded against her chest. To hell with waiting for the elevator, she took the stairs up to the fourth floor.

He was waiting for her in the records room, and he greeted her with the kind of desperate kiss that had her pressed against the door even before it closed behind her. His hand dove into her skirt, fingers seeking her pleasure point. She groaned against his mouth, her hands pawing and clawing at his scalp.


	5. Take As Much As You Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I didn't manage the writing for Oct 5, but I don't want to skip a day, so I did a quick 100 word drabble for the "Take As Much As You Need' prompt, but changed it to "Take As Much As You Want" because it fit better.

"Take as much as you want," Diane told him. 

April groaned. That was the absolute worst thing to say to Andy, when presenting him with a bowl full of candy. 

He might have lost a ton of weight, to the point he was actually fit now, but he still loved candy. Andy would always love candy.

He shoved both hands into the bowl, grinning with a childlike glee. April just rolled her eyes. Because how could she be annoyed or upset with him? He was such a dork. But he was her dork, and she loved him more than life.


	6. If I Could Just Explain Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A more in depth look at a scene from 3x2 "Flu Season" Dialogue lifted directly from the show as aired.

Filling in for April on her day off had been a great fun experience for Andy. Ron didn't even seem to mind when he dropped a call, or got confused and gave someone the wrong information. And his indoor grill was like the best thing ever. 

Even better than the meat tornados they'd had for lunch. 

"Hey Ron, can I ask you a question?" Andy asked, almost tentative. he felt like he and Ron had bonded, and Ron was someone he respected and trusted. his opinion meant a lot to Andy.

He swirled the whiskey in the tumbler he held. "Sure."

"It's about April."

He knew Ron didn't like to get involved in other people's business. Hell, he didn't seem to want to be involved in his own most of the time. But that didn't deter Andy. Not much ever deterred Andy when he made up his mind about something. 

"I hurt her feelings. And now she's pissed at me." Andy looked up, not quite meeting Ron's eyes, but looking for validation. "I feel like if I could just explain myself, she'd understand..." He was talking fast, just trying to get the words out. "But she's avoiding me." 

Ron looked uncomfortable. Andy recognised it, but he was in too deep. He trusted Ron, and he'd value Ron's advice. He didn't really have anyone else he could talk to. 

"It's making me miserable." Ron looked about as miserable as Andy felt. 

The older man averted his gaze. Andy thought maybe he was going to tell him to get the hell out of his office, he wouldn't be surprised. he'd broken some unspoken code, crossed some unseen line. He should have known better. He knew Ron didn't like to talk about feelings, or relationships, and especially not relationship feelings. 

"April's in the hospital, sick with the flu." Ron almost seemed to be pained when he said it. 

Andy heard enough. Whatever bull shit was going on between him and April, it had to end now. He lurched to his feet. "I knew it!" he said, but immediately countered with "I didn't know that," because he had no idea April was sick. If he'd known she was in hospital, he wouldn't have been tossing a football around like he had no cares in the world. 

He felt a jolt and stab of fear. Concern made him feel sweaty. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Ron assured him, and told him he could visit her in the morning. It was pretty late. Visiting hours were probably over. He felt terrible. He should have known. Or at least he should have asked. But he had asked where she was, and Ron had said he gave her the day off. He hadn't asked why. He should have asked why. 

Ron didn't want him to tell April that he had told Andy where she was. Andy thought that was kind of weird, but he didn't really care. All that mattered was that he knew now that April was sick and he was going to go and see her, and he wasn't going to wait till morning. 

She couldn't possibly be mad at him then, could she? She'd forgive him because he was worried about her. He'd care enough to go and visit her in hospital. That had to count for something, right? 

Ron put his hand out, but Andy didn't want to shake hands. He was grateful for Ron's support and encouragement, and the information about April. He bypassed the offered hand and hugged the man instead. It felt right. Even if Ron resisted. 

Andy left right after that. he didn't even go by his shoe shine stand. He headed right out, and drove right to the hospital. He was totally prepared to bully his way into seeing April, but no one tried to stop him. Ann told him what room she was in, and he wasn't going to let anything stop him from going to see her. 

She was asleep, which was kind of a bummer. He wanted to stay until she woke up, but he had no idea how long that would be. Sick people tended to sleep a lot, and for a long time. So maybe he shouldn't wait. Maybe that was why Ron suggested he go see her in the morning. 

That made more sense than sitting there while she slept. So he leaned in and kissed her gross, sweaty forehead.


	7. No Worries, You've Got Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April visits Dr Saperstein.

April had never really known how to take Dr Saperstein. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and as a doctor he behaved professionally. But she had a hard time wrapping her head around the fact he was Jean Ralphio and Mona Lisa's father. How did someone who seemed so _normal_ end up with two of the weirdest, most obnoxious, most spoilt brats? 

Of course it wasn't always accurate to judge people by how they acted in public. She knew that all too well. Because she acted like an uninterested bitch most of the time, and that absolutely was not her true self. But it was the self she chose to present to the world, because it protected her from being too easily hurt. Maybe Dr Saperstein put up a false front so people would feel bad for him when they saw how his children behaved.

Maybe she was thinking too much about it, but what else was she supposed to think about while she was sitting on the exam table waiting for him to come in and talk to her? She was alone, because Andy was in London, and she hadn't asked anyone to come with her. She wanted to do this alone, because no matter what the answer was, she wasn't ready to share it with anyone. 

Either she was pregnant or she wasn't. If she was, no one should know before Andy. It wasn't his fault he couldn't be here with her. And if she wasn't, well, she didn't want anyone showering her with pity or platitudes. If she wasn't pregnant, she wouldn't tell anyone she'd thought she might be, and that was that. And if she was, well. 

She kind of hoped she was. She wasn't sure she wanted to have kids. The process of being pregnant and giving birth scared her a little bit. Especially since she was so small and Andy was so big, and he'd been a big baby too, and if she had a big baby it would hurt. A lot. But he wanted kids. He wanted a lot of kids, and she wanted to give them to him. Someday.

Not yet. Except it would be kind of nice to have his child now. Even though he'd be home long before it was born. There was a strange sort of comfort in thinking maybe she was already carrying his baby, that a child was with her now while he wasn't. 

She couldn't have it both ways, though, and there wasn't really anything she could do to tip the scales in one direction over the other. Either she was pregnant, or she wasn't. 

Her eyes flickered over to the door when Dr Saperstein came in. He tapped the file he held, which she assumed was her test results. She drew a breath. "Just tell me, please."

He shook his head. "You're not pregnant." 

She let her breath out with a slight tremble. She was both relieved and disappointed at the same time. "You're sure?"

He nodded. "The blood test is rarely ever wrong. But don't worry, you're young. You've got time." 

April wrapped her arms around herself. Why did she suddenly feel so empty? She didn't even want to be pregnant. Not really. Not yet. Maybe not ever. 

"Do you have any other questions?"

She shook her head. What more was there to say? Andy didn't deserve her. He deserved someone who wanted to have his children. 

"All right. Go ahead and get dressed, and meet me at the front desk." He headed out of the room. She watched him go before sliding off the table and shedding the exam gown. She kind of wished she'd asked someone to come with her after all. She hadn't expected to feel so alone when the answer was no.


	8. I Know You Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy doesn't wake up to traditional alarms, so April has to get creative.

The first alarm was music, gentle and soothing. Fifteen minutes later, an obnoxious wailing siren blared from Andy's phone. April groaned, flinging herself across Andy, fumbling for his phone. By some miracle, she managed to grasp it without knocking it on the floor. 

She swiped a finger across the screen to cease the alarm. The sudden quiet was almost deafening. Or it would have been if Andy hadn't chortled in his sleep right then. How he could sleep through an alarm like that, April would never know. But he did. Morning after morning, he slept through both alarms. 

The task of actually waking him up was on April's shoulders. Once she was awake herself, she didn't mind. She had ways to break through the haze of sleep that held him. Kissing his lips usually got a response, but it wasn't enough to wake him. She had to do more than that. 

Her hand trailed down his bare chest, fingers lost in the maze of his sparse chest hair for a moment. He muttered something incoherent and one hand moved up to her shoulder. He didn't wake. Not yet. His reactions at this point were unconscious and subliminal. 

She shifted her hand, fingers walking further down. He was soft in the middle, and the waistband of his boxers disappeared under the pooch of his belly. She wasn't at all surprised to find he suffered from morning wood, he often did. Not always. But the mornings that he did were her favorite.

She sat up a little so she could use both hands to push his shorts down to his thighs. His erection bobbed and bounced and he made a soft murmuring sound. She grinned and wrapped one hand around his length, stroking firmly. She watched his face, watched his eyes flutter and his tongue slip out between his lips. She loved the sounds he made as her caresses pulled him from the blanket of sleep.

She caught the fingers of his closest hand in hers, grounding herself a little more as she stroked his cock with her other hand. Leaning forward, she kissed the smooth head, then spread her lips around him. His eyes popped open then, clouded but somehow bright at the same time. He groaned and she moaned in reply. 

"Babe..." Andy's free hand dove into her hair. She worked him expertly with tongue and teeth and lips, and drank up what he had to offer when his orgasm climaxed. Pulling off after he was spent, she crawled up his body, pressing herself against him. She said nothing, but leaned in to kiss him hard on the mouth. 

"Mmmm. Good morning."

He flashed a smile. "Mmmm. I love when you wake me up like that."

"I know you do," she said with a grin. "I like it too." She especially liked when he reciprocated. But she left that entirely up to him. He'd do it if he wanted to, because it wasn't necessary. That wasn't why she woke him.


	9. You Shouldn't Have Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April can always count on Andy to know just what she needs in times of crisis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt is actually "You shouldn't have come here" but I modified it to simply "You shouldn't have come".

April hated feeling helpless, but there was nothing she could do. Her mother was dying, it was just a matter of when she'd take her last breath. She had spent the entire day at the hospital with her dad and Natalie, rallying around her. She'd been so pale and withdrawn, her eyes vacant. 

She was ready to go. April knew that. She pretty much expected to get the call any time now. She wouldn't be surprised if it came during the night. She would almost welcome it, because until it happened, she knew she wouldn't sleep. 

How could she sleep when her mother was dying? Andy was in London, and she was alone in the house that suddenly seemed too big. She wasn't entirely alone. Champion with with her. She'd even allowed him on the bed, so he would be close to her. He'd curled up on Andy's side, but he was a poor substitute for her husband. 

She sighed and put a hand out to stroke Champion's head. The dog jolted up, his head cocked. April sat up, concerned. "What is it, boy?" Before she'd even completed the question, the pit bull was up and off the bed, running as fast as his three legs could take him.

April got up to follow him. She felt terribly vulnerable and exposed in just her panties and one of Andy's Scarecrow Boat T-shirts, but she made her way in the dark, following Champion downstairs. She wished she had a gun, or a baseball bat, or something. But she didn't know how to handle a gun and she didn't have the strength to do much damage with a bat. 

And judging from the scene at the front door, she didn't need either. Champion had already taken down the man who came through the front door. Andy was on his back, with Champion on his chest, his tail thumping wildly between Andy's knees. "Okay, awwww, you missed me. I get it. Let me up. I gotta go see your mom," Andy said, and he gently pushed Champion off him. 

He sat up, wiping his face furiously with both hands. He froze when he saw her watching him. There wasn't much light, but there was enough that he could see her there. "Babe..."

"You shouldn't have come," she said softly.

He lumbered to his feet, Champion danced around his legs. He moved across the room to pull April into his arms. "You need me here." 

She tried to jut her chin out in defiance, but it didn't work. Her head dropped to his shoulder as he pulled her into his arms. He'd always known exactly what she needed, and this time was no exception.


	10. You Think This Troubles Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone shows April a picture. She doesn't let it get to her.
> 
> Also, Andy can't keep a secret.

"You think this troubles me?" April shook her head. "It doesn't. This is nothing." So what if Andy was talking to Ann. Just because she hadn't seen them, and he hadn't told her, didn't mean he was doing anything he shouldn't be doing. It just meant he was talking to Ann.

They had a history together. They'd dated for like three years. April didn't like to think about it, but she couldn't exactly deny it either. He'd been living with Ann when she'd met him. If she were completely honest with herself, Ann was the only reason she even know Andy. If Ann hadn't come to the forum that night to complain about the pit behind her house where Andy fell and broke his legs, April never would have met him. 

She wouldn't be married to him now. She hated to give Ann credit for that, so she tried not to think about it. She frowned at the picture, though. Andy's body language indicated interest. His hand on Ann's arm implied there was something going on. April sneered at it. "Why are you taking pictures of Andy anyway?"

"Because I thought you'd want to see it."

"I don't." April sighed, shutting down the dark parts of her brain that wanted to go in a dangerous direction of thought. "Delete it and go away," she said. "I've got work to do." 

The fact was, the image troubled her. She could deny it outwardly all she wanted. She could pretend it didn't bother her at all. But deep down, in her brain, it did bother her. Andy had been hung up on Ann for months after she kicked him out of her house. He'd lived in the pit so he could be close to her. He'd tried to drive a wedge between her and that guy she'd dated after him. What was his name? Mitch or Mike or Mark? April barely remembered him because he'd been little more than a blip on her radar. 

She'd hated to see Andy following Ann around like a little lost puppy dog, so desperate for her attention. She didn't like to think about that time, the earliest days of their relationship when she'd felt like Ann was a road block between them. He'd finally gotten over her, and April could never figure out what he'd seen in her to begin with. or what she'd seen in him. It was obvious she thought he was an idiot, and she was way above him. They'd been terribly mismatched from the start. 

"Hey, babe," Andy leaned in to kiss her cheek before he leaned against the window ledge behind her desk. "You okay? You seem distant?"

April shook her head, pushing all thoughts of that stupid picture out of her mind. She smiled up at Andy, and hoped he didn't notice it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm good. Better now that you're here."

"Okay." He was gullible. He believed most anything anyone said. He wasn't capable of lying, so he didn't think other people were either. That was one of the things she loved about him. She knew she could ask him about Ann and he'd tell her the truth. He'd never even consider lying.

It was tempting. But she resisted. She trusted him. She had no reason to doubt him. No doubt he had a good reason for talking to Ann. Either he'd tell her in his own time, or it wasn't anything she needed to worry about. She trusted him completely, and even though she didn't trust Ann at all, she wasn't worried. 

Andy reached for her hand and clasped it in his. "Ann was telling me about this new restaurant over in Eagleton," he said. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I wanna take you there for a surprise dinner cause we've been married six months already." He grinned.

It all made sense. She'd known there was nothing to worry about. Andy loved her and only her. Whatever he'd felt for Ann back in the day was over and done. He didn't have any left over lingering feelings for her. Why should he? He had April, and April loved him unconditionally.


	11. I Will Never Forget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This could have gone so many ways, but it ended up being a bit of a stream of conscious thought processing for April. *shrug*

April would never forget how she felt the first time she and Andy went out. She wouldn't be 21 for a few months, but when Andy suggested going out for drinks she'd jumped on it. She didn't have a fake ID, she'd never needed one. The few times she'd tried to get into a bar, she'd bluffed her way past security at the door. Of course that would be the night she failed. Not when she was with Derek and his stupid boyfriend Ben, but when she was with Andy Dwyer.

She'd been stupid excited to hang out with him. They'd had fun that day at work when everyone else went on that hunting trip. She'd gotten to know him then, and she'd really enjoyed spending the day throwing the football and talking in silly accents with him. She didn't care that he was several years older than her. He sure didn't act like he was almost 30. 

It was supposed to be casual, sure. But that didn't mean she wasn't thinking about other things. He was cute, he was sweet, he seemed to be a genuinely nice guy. She had no idea what he ever saw in stupid Man Perkins, or what the dumb nurse ever saw in him. They were, in April's opinion, about as mismatched as a couple could be. She was glad they weren't together anymore and that Andy finally seemed to be getting over her. He deserved better than Ann, and Ann deserved...well, she didn't deserve someone as sweet as Andy. 

Maybe April didn't either, but it wasn't like she'd been planning a wedding with him as the groom or anything. She was 20, not 12. Just because she liked the guy and maybe wanted to hang out and make out with him didn't mean she wanted to marry him. He wasn't exactly stellar husband material. 

But she liked him, and wanted to hang out with him and get to know him better. She didn't care that he was older than her, or that he had a few extra pounds. She didn't care that he shined shoes in City Hall for a living, and thought it was the best job ever. It was an easy job, without much responsibility. She could respect that. 

She hadn't started jumping up and down, didn't run to share her excitement with her sister when he finally asked her out. She was thrilled, but she didn't go overboard with it. She just put a lot of thought into what she was going to wear, and how she hoped the evening would play out. She wasn't really surprised he wanted to go get drinks. And it didn't seem like a big deal. She'd gotten into bars before without a fake ID. It was generally pretty easy.

Except that night it wasn't. That night the dumb ass working the door actually wanted to see her ID. The one that said she wasn't yet 21. Close, but not close enough. Andy's changed his tune right then and there, and made up some lame excuse about why he had to get home. She'd never forget the tightening of her chest, the hollowness of her breath, the sensation of her heart breaking as she watched him walk away. 

And now, as she held their beautiful newborn son in her arms, she was so glad that hadn't been the end of their story. She'd almost given up on him so many times that first year or so. She'd had plenty of reasons, and plenty of opportunities. But she'd fought for him. She'd fought for them.


End file.
